OWENSBORO, KY (11/14/13) – Owensboro Health's Healthpark has become a certified medical fitness facility by the Medical Fitness Association, the country's leading organi-zation dedicated solely to medically integrated outcomes and accountability-based fitness facilities. This certification is a significant step forward in the health of the entire com-munity and to the individuals taking responsibility for their personal health care.

"We are part of an organization with a strong commitment to quality and leadership in health and wellness. The Healthpark's unique design allows the integration of clinical and wellness services to provide programs and services that keep people well and restore health to others," Collette Carter, director of the Healthpark, said. "We were the 25th fa-cility in the United States to become certified, and are proud to be in the top 2 percent of facilities nationwide."

Based on the Medical Fitness Association's nationally recognized official Standards and Guidelines for Medical Fitness Facilities, the certification process involves an in-depth review of a facility's adherence to the prescribed standards and guidelines. The certifica-tion process is an integral part of ensuring that facilities provide the quality and safety of the programs and services that are necessary to meet the vital role that medical fitness centers perform. The Medical Fitness Association Facility Certification is recognized as a mark of excellence in the health and wellness industry.

"With our health care system continuing to be stressed and the incidence of disease on the rise, the need for more medically supervised outcomes and accountability-based fitness was never more relevant in our industry than today," Bob Boone, FMFA, FACHE, presi-dent and CEO of the Medical Fitness Association, said.